Burn like Cigarettes
by ManofSilence
Summary: The first task is stunned into silence as Harry kills the Hungarian Horntail. The boy stands before the battered and broken dragon. Roaring in triumph, he will change the world, whether he wants to or not.


**So this is chapter one of my new fic, Burns like Cigarettes. The updates for this one will not be consistent, as my main focus is on my other fic, Asylum. However this was a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone so I decided to write it up. There's no definite storyline planned, so expect a few plotholes that I won't notice.**

**Expect an angry Harry, cliche Dumbles, minor bashing as I never really liked the Harry Potter characters, and lots of Luna. **

**I hope you enjoy the story, but again don't expect much besides an enjoyable way to pass the time.**

"Hello" - Talking

_I'm - Thought_

_~Harry Potter~ Parsletongue_

Chapter 1 - Half Empty

I took a deep breath, and released it shortly. My mind still begging to be at ease, I take another, this time forcing my body to relax as I slowly exhale. On my third I feel the throb in in my head relax. On my fourth I open my eyes to see the Hungarian-Horntail glaring at me. I feel her eyes boring into mine, daring me to touch her clutch. I shiver in my heat charmed robes. Fear grips me tightly, my vision blurs for a moment as I force down bile.

Even afraid I find myself breathless at her beauty. The dark auburn scales glitter with snuffed sunlight, her eyes fierce as any apex predator, teeth show fangs as hard as diamond, and her claws beat against the rock surface. She eyes me up, but growls when I eye her eggs. She draws herself up, easily towering over me. Curling her lips, a growl sets me on edge.

Am I prey?

I wish I was sometimes, or at least an animal. So easy to avoid predators as you can see them coming, or at least know why they chose to come upon you. I wish I was an animal, so free of the complex thoughts of homo sapiens. No backstabbing, just order in a nice neat package known as the food chain. No best friends that leave you, no sideway glances of suspicion, nothing more complex than finding a place to rest and fuck. I smile ruefully at the idea.

Now I stand before a beast, woefully prepared, abandoned. Whispers of those that call me friend taints my memory, a crowd of faces that hide the hexes they send at me. They decry me, call me cheater, liar, darklord, and even traitor. An image of a bushy-haired girl come to focus for a second. She gives me a small smile, and the push I need to face the world. Shaking my head of the only true friend I know, I take a step towards the beast. The roar of the crowd drowning out any further contemplation I may have had. Focusing I call forth some magic.

"Accio Firebolt!" My wand outstretched towards the general direction I believe it to be, I wait.

...

After a minute I realized my plan A, failed. Sighing, I glare at the snarling dragon. I knew no spell that could harm her, knew no charm to pass her. The rules dictate I must make a a grand attempt to accomplish the challenge, nothing short of dieing will appease the clause of failure. My bag of tricks limits to one way in which I can live through this.

With a heavy sigh I felt anger bubble up. A snarl of my own sets the dragon on edge, with a certain detachment I chuckle at her antics. I'm only angry at those who put me here, to those that left me, and to those that use me. I stare at her wretching the chain that binds her here, I wonder if I too would be locked up like a circus freak.

"If I had any other choice, believe me I would rather not do this." My voice amplified by the fields sonorous charm, everyone in the stand pauses at my words. Some ponder, some laugh, some are silent, but the sound returns to the audience. As they resume cheering, or booing, I call magic to my eyes. I feel the sting of death on my occular windows, a tinge of yellow paints my vision. The Dragon pauses before it yells at me again.

I am a predator.

I wish I wasn't. I wish I could not be so abnormal, even in this world of magic, I'm still a freak. A chuckle erupts from my throat, the only person I could think of right now is my fatass of an uncle. He was right, as much as I hate to admit it. These people are nothing but trouble, they do not deserve much of what they have. I resolve to thank him later, he was probably the only person to warn me about these bastards, and the only person whom I can think of that was always honest, as well as consistent in his dislike of me. Maybe a lobster dinner or ssomething. Smiling, I shake my head of the thoughts and summon some magic to my eyes.

I practiced this since second year. In private of course, can't have those biased Gryffindors start telling the world of my secrets. I feel my eyes change from their Avada Kadavra green to a sickly yellow. My vison changes to include a larger spectrum of colors, and shades, it blurs a bit as the pupil changes to a longer version. They now look down right nasty, but it's not enough as the dragon just cocks it's head to the side.

Pumping more magic into my eyes I feel my tongue split, thin, and sharpen. The dragon only glowers. I feel my skin harden, becoming rough at the appearance of fine scales woven into my pores. My eyes burn with magic now, and all the Dragon does is roar in defiance. In that declaration of challenge I feel the barrier press up against my surging magic. I growl as I stop at the borderline. I'm pumping as much magic as I can into my body without turning my form into that of a Basilisk.

In my fury of the Horntails resiliency, I think back to another impossible situation. This one happening two years prior, the time where I became the soul creature that could possibly win me this challenge.

_Flashback, Chamber of Secrets_

"Grah, ugg" dodging left I missed the whipping tail of the giant serpent. Tom laughing behind me, cheering on the beast with parsletongue. It hisses and turns around on me, I sprint in the opposite direction, only to veer a hard left as I spot a body.

_I need to keep it away from Ginny!_

My legs burn with acid, my body screams in protest, my mind dull as my senses go into overdrive. Seeker reflexes hurl me right, my shoe taken off by a barely dodged fang. The fall has me landing on my shoulder, a pop has me biting back a heavy groan. Rolling onto my back, my magic reaches out begging for help.

"Is this what the mighty Boy-who-lived has to offer? I am truly dissapoint-" a mighty caw interrupts his dark rant. I hear a soft thump next to my head, and a roar shakes the chamber as the Phoenix dodges the Basilisk's jaws.

"Haha is that what Dumbledore sends his warrior? An old ratty hat?" His declaration has me fighting my tired body to turn my head. I see the sorting hat laying a foot away from my left. A small glint catches my eye, and I reach towards it, desperately wishing for a miracle. I choke back a sob as I draw a sword too big for my small body.

My body cries as I sit up, using the sword as a cane I stand up, albeit a bit shakily.

"CAW!" The cry of the Phoenix has both Tom, and I, look at the red bird. The descent slows as it puts fort it's claws. A shrill cry erupts from the Basilisk as Fawkes's nails dig deep into it's skull. Anger dripping from his voice Tom yells out.

"You don't need sight! Track him with his scent! Kill him!" The beast's nose rises in the air as it's head points itself in my direction. The sword is held in both my hands, too heavy for my weakened body, I put it in front of me. With a haggard breath I lift it as the giant serpent nears me, high, cruel, laughter taints the air. With a final cry/sob I lift the blade, using the last of my strength I thrust the blade foward.

My painfully shut eyes open to see a small cavern. I was in the mouth of the beast, the sword piercing the roof of it's mouth. My mind registers a slight sting in my arm, a fang sticking out of it, before a deep, rumbling, roar reaches my thumping ears. Terror reaches the depths of my soul before I feel white hot pain rip through me. The Basilisk, using the last of it's stregnth, bit down.

I yell in agony, as my hips were crushed, muscles ripped, and blood vessels torn away from my legs like demented spaghetti.

_I need... I need to protect Ginny..._

I feel a numbness overtake the pain, the poison running through what was left of me. I plead with my magic to help me stop Tom. I beg it to help me like it always has before. A thrum of power courses through, what was left of, my body.

It was weeks later that I fully realized what happened. Blood of the conquerer mixed with the blood of the vanquished. The loser violated natural law by attacking the winner of a magical deul. It would have just resulted in a giant magical backlash, if my mind was focused on the Basilisk, but my mind was focused on the thought of love, and friendship. It was focused on protection, not revenge. Therefore magic itself responded.

The top half of the Basilisk was ruined, natural poison of the blade worked it's way down the beast, while the bottom half of me was somewhere on the other side of the room. Magic deemed it necessary to mix our body, our magic, our power.

I felt an odd sort of detachment as my body started morphing, it funneled the power necessary for the change from the great Serpent. My torso elongated, widened, changed. I broke free from the beast mouth. Cool tile met my face as I squirmed as the changes took place. For a moment all went black. When I awoke I towered over a pale faced Voldemort.

At that moment anger took hold, instinct summoned magic to my eyes. All I wanted was to kill him, to make him dissappear! He took a step back, before he exploded in a giant show of light. Exhaustion prompted me to pass out. When I awoke, I stared at my bottom half for a minute. When my hazy mind caught up with me I sat up with a scream. My hands dragged me away from my severed legs. A small gasp/scream had me look to Ginny's prone form.

I picked up and ran to her. Subconsciously I blocked her view of the strewn body parts.

"Oh Har.. Harry I'm so sorry..."

I'm sorry

_I'm sorry_

My eyes snapped open, the cavern gave way to the image of the field. The body of the Basilisk morphed back into the dragon. I took another deep breath, steeling my resolve, I push my magic pass the animagi barrier. The roar of the announcer growing dull.

"HAS HARRY POTTER GIVEN UP? FIVE MINUTES INTO THE TASK AND POTTER HAS ONLY STARED AT THE BEAST! WHAT IS HIS PLAN... OH MERLIN WHA..." I felt fangs split my gums, my hair sink into my skull, my legs force together, and my arms join my torso. For the moment I am a Basilisk the size of my human form, then magic, pumped into me by my creature blood, expand me to the size of slytherin's monster.

I lift the front of my body so that I'm eye level with the Horntail, it's visage turned into that of absolute aggression, faced with an old natural enemy, has it apocalyptic. I hiss in challenge.

_~These humans have betrayed my trust! To bring such a creature to fight me, surely they expect my death!~_

_~No ya big lizard, they knew not of my other half! I take this form because I would die as a human!~_

_~Grrrr no matter! I shall banish you from this realm!~_

_~I do not wish to fight! One of your clutch is not yours! Merely a fake planted by your handlers!~_

_~I knew of that human! I would have left you alive had you not taken that form! I shall not let an abomination like you exist!~ _

I reel back in anger, before I lash out towards the dragon. Yelling from the crowd distracts me from my chosen path. A small deviation that the Horntail capitilizes on. Beating my head to the side with it's wings, a roar truely starts the battle.

My form curls and lashes back, the dragon takes to the air, breaking it's chain. I miss it's body but catch it's leg. Twisting sharply I slam it into the ground. It roars in protest befor a tail carves a deep wound on my side, my own tail strikes it's face.

Now I'm twisting around it, my body constricting it's own. Claws, teeth, and an iron tail pelt my body. Fangs producing venom, potent enough to melt diamond, rip into it's form. The attacks get sluggish and weak, but they capitalize on already open wounds. I hiss as a few strikes meet the bone, but with one all mighty tug I break more bones than I care to count. I release shortly, and slither away quickly.

_~You think you have won? My tail holds enough poison to kill you slowly, I may die here today but I'll see you in hell!~_

_~No you won't. You forget yourself, I am only part Basilisk! My human side shall reject your poison, I shall live!~ _

A mighty roar of defiance reached my ears, a white hot jet of flame raced towards me, but I spring left, dodging a firey death. The Dragon stills, it's eyes dull, and the body crashes down on the ground.

The crowd is silent now. A pin could be heard from the castle. I roll back, staring at the clutch of eggs. My form shortens, shrinking I feel my limbs returning to me. My magic morphing back to that of a human, I feel my injuries stitch together, and a horrid feeling settles in my stomach. Stopping short of the eggs I puke a dark purple liquid off to the side. With the silence of the crowd, everyone hears my roar of anger as I smash the eggs.

**OK despite the fact that I hinted at it, it won't be a Harmony story. It will most likely be a Harry/Luna story, just don't expect the cliche relationship that most fics have, soulmates, rapid feelings of love, etc. It'll be like a real relationship. Problems, awkwardness, fighting, etc. I try to avoid cliches as much as posible. The only cliches that'll be found here will be there because I'm too lazy to make it complex. Like Dumbledore, or the Weasleys.**

**Peace, Love, and Review!**


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